<!-- skill-dir-note -->

Path note: <skill-dir> in commands below is the absolute path of this skill's folder. When the agent loads this skill the harness exposes the skill's base directory; substitute it before running. Sibling skills are reached via <skill-dir>\..\dayz-X\.

/dayz-setup-objectbuilder

One-time configuration of Object Builder. Bohemia ships a .reg file with sensible defaults (window layouts, panel positions, render flags) but doesn't auto-import it — without this step, Object Builder runs from a blank HKCU\Software\Bohemia Interactive\DayZ Tools\Object Builder tree and looks broken on first open.

Follow skills/_shared/dayz-conventions.md.

What it does

1. Gates on /dayz-preflight.

2. Locates DayZ Tools via the shared find_dayz_tools() resolver.

3. Verifies these exist:

   • Bin\ObjectBuilder\ObjectBuilder.exe
   • Bin\ObjectBuilder\ObjectBuilder_defaultSettings.reg

4. Checks HKCU\Software\Bohemia Interactive\DayZ Tools\Object Builder\CConfig for an existing config.

5. If CConfig is missing (or with --force, after confirmation): checks that every key the .reg touches is under HKEY_CURRENT_USER (refuses otherwise, before touching the registry). Then, whenever the parent Object Builder key already exists, it runs reg export on it to .claude/local-memory/objectbuilder-backup-<YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS>.reg in the project and prints that path; nothing is imported if the export fails.

   • Partial tree (parent key present, CConfig missing, with or without --force): the defaults are merged over the existing key with no confirmation and no delete, so saved MainFrame-* layouts and HistoryPaths stay.
   • Forced reset (--force with CConfig present): the key is deleted with reg delete ... /f (stops if that fails) so the import starts from an empty tree.
   • Empty registry: there is nothing to back up, so the defaults are imported straight away.

   It then runs reg import on the .reg and verifies CConfig now exists. If that import fails or CConfig is still missing, and a backup was taken, it clears the key, imports the backup, and reports whether your previous settings came back (if that restore also fails, it prints the reg import command to run by hand).

6. Unless --no-prefs is given, sets four preferred flags under CConfig, writing only the ones not already on: View background LOD, background LOD in the 3D preview, background LOD in the UV editor (all "1"), and Direct3D renderer by default ("On"). If CConfig cannot be opened for writing or a write fails, it prints a [FAIL] line with the Windows error and exits 1.

How to run

First time (or after a fresh DayZ Tools reinstall):

python "<skill-dir>\setup.py"

Keep your own flag choices (for example Direct3D turned off after a GPU or driver crash):

python "<skill-dir>\setup.py" --no-prefs

Without --no-prefs, every run turns the four flags back on. Use --no-prefs on every later run once you have switched one off on purpose.

Force re-import (resets Object Builder to factory defaults — wipes any custom panel layout you've saved):

python "<skill-dir>\setup.py" --force

On an already-configured machine --force asks [y/N], backs up the current settings, deletes the whole Object Builder key (including saved MainFrame-* toolbar layouts, HistoryPaths recent files, and any value the shipped .reg doesn't set), then imports the defaults into the empty tree. --force only resets a key that already has CConfig: on a partial tree (Object Builder key present, CConfig missing) it changes nothing, and the defaults are merged over the saved values after a backup, exactly as without --force. If importing the defaults fails, it restores the backup on its own. To undo a reset that succeeded, run reg import on the backup file it printed. The backup goes to .claude/local-memory/ in the project that /dayz-init resolves (CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR, else the nearest folder at or above the current one with the /dayz-init cache, else the clone that holds the skill scripts when that clone has the cache), so running from a mod subfolder still lands it in the project. Without a terminal (an agent's Bash call) it refuses unless --yes is also given, so get the user's go-ahead first and then run --force --yes. --no-prefs combines with --force.

Exits 1 if DayZ Tools, ObjectBuilder.exe or the .reg is missing, Object Builder is running or tasklist cannot tell whether it is (it writes its settings back to the registry when it closes, so close it first), the .reg touches a key outside HKEY_CURRENT_USER, the reset is not confirmed, the backup export or the key delete fails, CConfig is still missing after import, or the preferred flags cannot be written; a failed reg import returns its own exit code. Both import failures keep their exit code after an automatic restore, because the import itself did not happen.

When to run

• After installing DayZ Tools for the first time on a machine.
• After reinstalling DayZ Tools (Steam may have wiped the registry tree).
• If Object Builder opens with floating panels everywhere and weird defaults.

Output

DayZ Object Builder setup

DayZ preflight

[OK]    P:\ is mounted
[OK]    DayZ Tools found: C:\...\steamapps\common\DayZ Tools
[OK]    Vanilla data found: P:\dz
[OK]    P:\Mods -> C:\...\steamapps\common\DayZ\!Workshop

Preflight complete.

[OK]    DayZ Tools: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\DayZ Tools
[OK]    ObjectBuilder.exe: ...\Bin\ObjectBuilder\ObjectBuilder.exe
[OK]    Default settings file: ObjectBuilder_defaultSettings.reg
[INFO]  Registry empty — importing defaults.
[INFO]  Running: reg import ...\ObjectBuilder_defaultSettings.reg
[OK]    Registry imported successfully.

[INFO]  Applying preferred Object Builder defaults (skip with --no-prefs):
[INFO]  View > Background LOD: turned on
[OK]    Background LOD shown in 3D preview pane: already on
...
[INFO]  1 of 4 preferences changed.

[OK]    Object Builder is ready. Launch with: /dayz-launch-objectbuilder

On an already-configured machine the import is skipped ([OK] Registry already configured ...), but the preference step still runs and turns on any of the four flags that were switched off in Object Builder since the last run, unless --no-prefs is given ([INFO] --no-prefs: preferred flags left as they are.).

Why a registry import (and why it's safe)

Object Builder is an old MFC-based Windows tool — its config lives entirely under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Bohemia Interactive\DayZ Tools\Object Builder. The shipped .reg file writes window/panel/toolbar defaults into that tree. It's HKCU-only (the script verifies this before every import), so:

• No Administrator elevation needed.
• Only affects the current Windows user.
• Reversible: any import over an existing Object Builder key (a forced reset or a partial tree) saves a backup .reg first, and you can reg import it to get your layout back. The four preferred flags are re-applied on every run without --no-prefs.

Do not

• Don't run as Administrator unless the non-elevated import fails. The .reg writes to HKCU, not HKLM.
• Don't edit the .reg file in DayZ Tools install — Steam will overwrite it on update. If you want custom defaults, save a layout from inside Object Builder; it persists in the same registry tree but in MainFrame-* subkeys you don't need to touch directly.